So glad to hear Jerry is still above ground. He had been a stylist/artist, whatever, for Chrysler. He was laid off, early '70's I think. I saw his first couple of rifles. Precise workmanship. After he'd been making rifles for a few years his old boss called and offered him his job back. When Jerry told me this I think I saw a couple small canary feathers in the corner of his mouth . . .
Never had one of his rifles but he did some fantastic restoration. Some years ago i ought a Model 1805, dated 1807, Harpers Ferry pistol in a shoe box. In pieces. Missing trigger guard, trigger & rigger plate, about half the forend, the entry thimble and cock. Wife did not speak well of it. Well, at least it was original flintlock & Jerry used it as a model to restore a couple of Harpers Ferry pistols in the Dee-troit area. Finally I got a couple $ together and asked if he would restore it for me. Guess he called in his Chits and got a couple of solid originals from which to pattern what was missing on mine. Sawed the trigger guard out of solid brass plate. I had found a slightly broken original entry thimble, and good casting off an original cock.
So here is my well-restored - but original flint - pistol. Still thank you, Jerry